


Lose an Arm, Win a Mechanic

by winryofresembool



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: (eventually. not in this fic lol), As Adults, Bisexual Character, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Ishbalan Character(s) | Ishvalan Character(s), Shooting Mentioned, automail arm, bc of course, edwin children, edwin mentioned, mechanic x patient trope is the best, these 2 are the definition of slow burn you don't even know, tragic background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22034830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winryofresembool/pseuds/winryofresembool
Summary: Ruby finally opens up to Alan about how she lost her arm
Relationships: Alan Rockbell-Elric/Ruby Harris
Kudos: 5





	Lose an Arm, Win a Mechanic

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas present to a friend who has helped me to create these characters! 
> 
> A little background: this scene happens during Alan and Ruby’s trip to Central (they are around 19 here), where they have just met Ruby’s friend/ex crush Diana, who spilled some things about Ruby’s background that Alan didn't know yet (the fic will open those more). Maybe one day I’ll write that meeting too but this fic would have gotten too long if I had done that as well, so I’m starting from the beginning of Alan and Ruby’s conversation afterwards. Also, in case it wasn't clear, Alan is a mechanic like his mother Winry, and Ruby is his client/ex classmate (and future s/o ;))
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! And please let me know how you feel about this! I have put a lot of effort into creating my oc:s so I'd love to know if people are interested in this kind of stuff.

”Ruby…” Alan said all of a sudden when the two of them arrived at their hotel. Before getting there, they had met a girl from Ruby’s past, leaving Alan even more confused about his mysterious client/friend than before, and he was trying to make some sense of it. “I have been taking care of your automail for over a year. We have known each other since we were kids. Yet still, you refuse to tell me what exactly happened with your arm. I mean, I have heard some bits and pieces mostly by accident, but I’d still like to get a full picture from you. I want you to be able to trust me.”

“I do trust you,” Ruby insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Alan.

“I… Sometimes I feel you don’t,” Alan retorted back.

“Alan…” Ruby sighed, annoyed that she still had to explain this. “I grew up with an abusive mother, getting bullied through my childhood, and then this incident happened…” She pointed at her automail arm. “You can’t blame me for shutting out especially when it comes to one the most painful memories of my life.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.” Alan glanced at his feet with embarrassment. “I guess I’m just… worried about you. I care about you. You know, not just like a regular automail mechanic cares about their clients. Rather, like a good friend.”

Ruby didn’t admit that those words hurt her, because one, growing part of her wished that he could see her as something more than a friend. But she supposed she had to take what she got, so she sucked it in and after a barely audible sigh she answered: “It’s… it’s OK. I get it.”

“So, who was that girl?” The one we met?” Alan decided to test some little less dangerous waters.

“Oh… She’s Diana, a second lieutenant from the time I was in the military training.” Ruby tried to shrug it off. She didn’t care to go to details about her either, unless she had to.

“Oh? That’s all? Why did I get a vibe that there’s more than that to her?” Alan cocked his eyebrow curiously.

“Uhh…” This time Ruby couldn’t help but blush a bit. “We did kiss once… But that was all, I swear, we both knew it was against the military rules to date your subordinate/superior, so soon after we decided we’d be better off as friends. I admit I did have a crush on her but… it’s like I told her, I am over it now.” What she didn’t add was: “there’s someone else now.”

“Looks like I’m learning a lot of things about you during this trip…,” Alan noted. “I didn’t know you were a…”

“Bi. I’m bisexual, and not afraid to say it. Yes, I may find certain male AND female individuals attractive, but contrary to popular belief, I don’t want to jump into bed with every person I encounter,” she said defensively before Alan could comment that information.

“I never said I thought…” Alan started apologetically, but before he could finish, Ruby spoke.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed… It’s just, people always get very confused when I try to explain them what that term means and… it’s frustrating sometimes.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not judging!” Alan rushed to answer. “To be honest, sometimes I don’t know what I am myself, but I feel like trying to put yourself into a certain mold is… well, it’s not for me. What does it really matter? If you like someone, then you like someone, no matter which “category” you belong to.”

“You may have a point there,” Ruby agreed after considering Alan’s statement.

“Right.”

Both of them just sat on Ruby’s bed for a while, not knowing where to take the conversation next. Ruby wanted to ask Alan how things were going with the Xingese princess, while Alan was still curious about Ruby’s accident, but neither felt like an appropriate topic at that moment.

“So…”

“So…”

“Maybe I should go to my own room to rest now… It’s been a long day,” Alan finally said. He turned to leave, but before he was out of the room, Ruby stopped him.

“Alan…”

“Yeah?”

Ruby wasn’t sure what possessed her to say the next words. “You are right. Maybe you deserve to know.”

“About…?” Alan asked with confusion, not quite following Ruby’s track of thoughts.

“About what happened to me,” Ruby said quietly, but firmly.

“Oh.” Alan didn’t know how to react, but he set the hand that had been on the door handle down and turned to look at Ruby. She seemed uncharacteristically insecure and vulnerable.

“You… have to realize that I have not told this to many people,” she started. “Living through it once was bad enough, thinking about it again is… it never gets easier. But maybe you’ll finally understand… what I feel… if I tell…”

“I don’t want to pressure you, though… If you don’t feel ready, that’s OK…” Alan tried to reassure her.

“No. I’m this far, I’m not backing down now,” Ruby answered, determination taking over the previous moment of insecurity.

Alan thought in his mind that this girl had so much more guts than she gave herself credit for, but said nothing, instead just nodding to encourage Ruby to continue.

After taking a deep breath, she spoke: “I guess I should start from the beginning. So, I had just turned 18 and I was living alone in a tiny apartment and needed money. I did have a couple of part time jobs but it got too demanding with me also trying to finish my studies, and I noticed wishing I only had one job that alone could earn me my living. Well, weirdly enough an opportunity showed up. I saw the military’s job ad on a newspaper, and even though I had always hated the thought of guns and wars and fighting and so on, I asked myself that if Amestris really needed my help, would I want to do it? And my answer was yes. And that decided it for me.”

“Truth to be told, I always wondered why exactly you went there, and I guess that explains it,” Alan commented, but then gestured her to continue.

“Mmmmh… Anyway, when I started my training, I met a lot of new people. Some great, some not so great. There was this one guy. And… I have to warn you, this is where this gets hard,” Ruby noted.

“Take your time,” Alan said calmingly. Ruby took another deep breath and continued.

“He… I think he had his eye on me since the moment we met. I mean, in a very, very bad way. First, because of my skin color. He was really, really anti-Ishval – well, in other words, a racist pig - and of course he noticed I had some Ishvalan blood in me, even though I’m probably more Amestrian than he is. That alone was enough to put him off. Well, soon enough he also found other reasons to hate me. I was a better shooter than him. I was more liked than him. For the first time I actually found friends who didn’t shy away from me after hearing about my background and it was great. I… well, I also befriended Diana and even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew there were rumors about us around. I think you already got an idea about the guy who did this to me, and can guess how he felt about sexual minorities. Of course he heard about us and… that only fueled him.”

“I think I know where this is going and… I already wish I could punch him. So hard he’d… lose more than an arm.” Alan clenched his fist, really looking like that if he saw this guy Ruby was talking about, he’d do just that.

“Alan, calm down,” Ruby tried to soothe him. “To be honest, this was one of the reasons why I didn’t want to tell you. I was afraid you’d react badly. If… If I learned anything from my incident, it’s that violence won’t take you anywhere.”

“Yeah, you are right,” Alan answered, still breathing heavily. “Uh, I guess, continue… if you want to.”

“Okay,” Ruby nodded and closed her eyes, bracing herself. “We – I and him - had a couple of arguments, but I never thought he’d stoop as low as he did. But one day, soon after he found me and Diana hugging – we were only saying goodbyes because Diana was going to a bootcamp – he and I were for some reason alone in the shooting grounds. I was just doing my daily practice, when…” At this point Ruby had to stop to get some air “… I turned to see who had arrived and… I saw him and… before I could do anything… I heard a loud bang and felt pain that was worse than anything I had felt in my life… I lost my conscience soon afterwards.”

Ruby’s eyes were getting wet and Alan sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, but she deepened the hug. They were like that for a while, until Ruby sobbed: “He… he had shot me in the arm. I still don’t know if he had had the intention to kill or just hurt me, but does it really matter? I mean, that bullet could have just as well hit me anywhere…”

“But it didn’t,” Alan said firmly, even though he was still shocked about the information he had just learned. “You’re here with us, maybe not 100% the same as before that, but… still alive and healthy and braver than any person I’ve met. And I’ve met my fair share of brave people, believe me.” He stroke her hair slowly, letting the girl get the piled up emotions out of her system. “Not even once have I seen you give up on something just because of your… small issue.”

“You… you think so?” Ruby asked, raising her head hopefully from his shoulder.

“Yep. Sometimes I think you’re even braver than you should be. Listen, my parents have always taught me that we shouldn’t be afraid of helping – and to be helped – if need be. You’re so used to doing everything on your own that – and I’m sorry if I’ve gotten a wrong impression – I have a feeling you’ve forgotten that you don’t always need to do that. That sometimes it’s OK to have a shoulder to cry on.”

Alan stopped when he realized Ruby’s grip on his shirt had tightened and the shoulder part of it had started getting damp.

“Hey, it’s OK,” he stroked her back awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made you tell…”

“No, you were right,” Ruby said once she had calmed down enough, wiping her tears. “It… felt good to talk about it. Tough… but also good. I mean… this may sound really weird, but I have never really cried about my arm before. Sometimes I’ve wished I could have, but… instead I’ve just felt that weird numbness. Your automail is of course a blessing to me; I can do almost everything I wish to do with it… but I can’t feel with it. I can’t feel with my arm or my hand because an extremely hateful person decided I don’t deserve it, and… I just can’t process that in my head. But something about your words… made me realize that there’s someone here who really does care about me, who’d even fight for me, and…” She couldn’t finish her sentence because she was overwhelmed by her emotions again, but then Alan did something unexpected. He took Ruby’s automail hand into both of his, and gave her a very serious look.

“Hey. Of course I care about you. Probably more than you realize. I mean, how could I not? Sometimes I’m just not very good at showing it… Must have gotten that from my father,” He muttered, but Ruby didn’t pay attention to his final sentence. She was staring at him like she had just noticed him being there for the first time properly, wondering if she should make her move. The moment would be perfect for it. Sure, there was that Xingese princess, but for what Ruby knew, she hadn’t been to Amestris for several months and Alan hadn’t mentioned her in a long while… Maybe there was nothing going on.

“Alan…” she finally said. “There’s another thing I’d like you to know…”

“Oh?”

“I…”

She was just about to lean in to kiss him, setting her hand in his hair and inching closer… There were only a few centimeters between them when there was a knock on the door and Ruby quickly leaped farther from Alan as the spell of the moment was broken.

“Ms. Harris, there’s a phone call for you down the hall,” a hotel clerk said through the door, and Ruby quickly told him she’d come right away.

“Uh, I guess I should go then…” Ruby mumbled to Alan awkwardly, staring at her feet.

“Yeah… I should go back to my room as well, I’m feeling kinda tired…” Alan answered lamely. He wondered what had just almost happened.

Before they left the room, though, Ruby decided there was at least one more thing she had to do first.

“Alan… thanks.” Before she could hesitate, she pressed a quick kiss on his cheek, leaving the young man rather flustered when she exited the room. Her eyes may have been puffy from the crying but she was smiling hopefully, thinking maybe there was something good waiting for her in the future.


End file.
